Crimping tool



Jan. 5, 1954 R. G. AREY 2,664,772

CRIMPING TOOL Jan. 5, 1954 Filed Oct. 21, 1949 R. G. AREY CRIMPING TOOL.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 5, 1954 2,664,772 e'r'MIiiNG Toor..

Ralph GL A'rey; Brockton, Mass.; assigner to Ward? Machine:Coiil'pany',` Inc., Brocktb, Massi.,V a; corporation. of MassachusettsyApplicationoettef 21, louisiana-1N@ 122,801

(Cl. 81u15) 1' Claim".

My pre-sent invention is a novel and improved" crimping tool, preferablydesigned as aporta-ble handl device although capable ofV beingpoweractuated and in any size desired.

It is an important obj ect of'my` prese-nt `inven-- tion vtoprovidealight, strong, inexpensive, quicheAv operating, and powerfulhand crimping tool whichican beV utilizedby la housewife in crimpingandsealing the tops or lids of containers', such for example as the' metalcontainersfnow ingeneral use for enclosing' articles of food indeepfreeze refrigerators. These containers are usuallymade of very'-thi'nlaluminum ofrectangular box-form, and with al flanged lid ttingorithe top to close the container; Itis desirable to have such a: lid'sealed` or otherwise attached to the walls andends ofthecontainerf'tolthus provide a=closedreceptacle -to protectthecontents.-

Heretoiore, it has required a-slowanddiicultl handerollingor other' toolto ei'ectsucha closing operation.

My present crimpingrdeyice is capable of eiiect` ingA a crimping.,uniting, and closing operation, firmly joining. the cover to the lowerA`portion'vof the container oni bOthsideSSandAendS, although these are ofdiiierentl lengths; and, fiirtherrriore,v my'` improved crimper` isdirected and-arranged to provide ample power for the metal-closingaction requiredv and yet with a minimum of manual strength.

In carrying. out myAv invention,l I provide a Atool with a pair of jawspivotedtogethe'r in a special manner tovefect' a combined forcing'fofthe lid and boxV portions into a sealedcontact with' ample capacityand.power to unite the dependingiiange of the lid. and the adjacent edgeVportions of. the box'into an almost air-tight union by a=s1ig`htsqueezing action of the handles of' the device;

`Ample leeway is provided to engage material of variable thickness aswellf asv of different lengths so that either a square or rectangularbox can have the sides and ends efectiv'ely united by the same crimpingtool.

Referring to the drawings:l illustrating axpre7 ferred embodiment of .myinvention:

Fig. l is a-plan view o-fmycrimping tool'shown in upsidedown position;V

Fig. 2 is a side View;

Fig. 31is1a longitudinal crossesectional lview;

Fig. 4 is a front end View;

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of a container with the cover appliedready for the operation of my hand-crimping tool;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional View partly broken away showingthe crimping action and detailed-construction@ the pivot andbox andcover-engaging portions Fig; 7-A isa fragmentary plan viewafter the:ycrimping action; andl Fig. 8f is a fragmentary `side elevational view-1of?r the crimped'edge of the lid or cover andbox.

As shown in the` drawings, my crimping'tool" comprises a' pair? ofhandlelike' rnernlciersl to `:loegrasped by'v the handof the* user, eachhandle: extending into a. cross-headA portion whiehr-- isV united on aiioating pivot.4 The 4top handle isi: designated at I withalcrosseheadportion indie cated at 2; the' handle=preferably-being starirpezi.U outwith av .channel-likevmember with: depending sides 3-3 andan extension 4on the sides ofjthef. crossehead portion-,1 see Figs. 2 and 3: The lowerpart of the cross-'head Zlisipreferablyiformedwith a. plurality ofteethA 1; the opposite side: walls of. thei portion 4beingthe-extensionof theiianges.V 3-3 already formedin-the head2. Iprovidea: pair of! slots 8-8= which. have a cam conforma-ttionV asindicated at 9. Theseare formed tot'4 receive the pivot pin 20 in thelower handle: HJ;g whichlatter is also formed witha4 channel memjberwith side walls- I2-I-2` extendingintol vtheV cross-head: I5,` 4whichlatter is of slightly less length` than' theV width in the crossehead'2'-, and thev lower handle-I0 and its sideflanges I2.-I2aretoslightlyless Width thansthatof the-topprupper' handle I so that thetwo handles may be? interlocked: as." they arevsqueezed toward each'Lother on Ethelpivot 20. p

Preferably I form thepivot" Ztl-as short studsv each. wedged:orrsecur'edfini opposite' endsU of: the'.- cross-head I5 of the lowermember andzprojectA ing suf'cientlyf to engage the? adjacent slota, inther.cross'eheadportion` 21- of` theupperf member: Thisfarrangementfacilitates assemblingfalthoueh the pivot pin couldextendthru one endsofthe.` crossehead members .to the other.v

Infthat portion of the-cross-head I5` adjacent the oppositeand'cooperatingf cross-head 2-`with` its teethl 'I provide acorresponding set of teeth- I8` whichv will register andcooperatewithxtlie interstices between thev teeth I with a somewhat loose orsliding fitting action. Thusv the`-spacesJ betweenthe teeth.l'intheettop cross-head2, as dicatedat I1, will. receive ,r the. teethI8'1intthe".

lower: cross'-head I 5; andtthe' corresponding?. ree

cesses I9 in the lower cross-head I5 will receive the projecting teeth'I in the upper cross-head 2.

Therefore, any material engaged therebetween will be clamped and crimpedtogether.

It is important to provide a forward sliding action relatively betweenthe lower crimping cross-head I5 and the upper cross-head 2, the slot 8being of suitable length for this purpose so that the pivot pins 20 willtraverse the same; and for this purpose I unite the handles by a togglelink 25 pivotally secured as indicated at 26 to a pair of lugs 2 weldedor otherwise attached in the lower part of the upper handle I and theside flanges 3; and to the lower handle I0 the toggle link is pivoted asindicated at 26 to a pair of upstanding lugs 2 S secured to the lowerhandle.

If desired, the lower lugs 29 may be formed integral with the sideiianges I2, but in the upper handle I I prefer to form the lugs 2lspaced from the side flanges 3 so as to permit the housing action whenthe handles I and I9 are compressed, allowing the side flanges I2-I2 tospan the lugs 2'I-2'I and, thus, nest between the lugs 21 and the sideanges 3 3, as will be readily understood.

While the link 25 and the length of the slots 8-8 afford a limit ofrelative longitudinal movement between the handles I and I and, hence,between the crimping teeth i and I8, I may also prefer to provide anadjustable stop for this purpose. Also, I desire to t a coiled spring 30between the handles i and I9 and combine the same with an adjustablestop 2 I. This latter would be a threaded bolt passing thru acorrespondingly threaded hub 22 and extending thru the top of the handleI, I provide a bearing for the adjacent part of the coiled spring 39,which latter would have its opposite end fitted around a stud 33 securedto the lower handle I0, as best shown in Fig. 3.

This spring is, preferably, fitted between the toggle 25 and the pivots20, as shown, and acts to automatically open the handles or spread themapart and retract the crimping teeth in the crossheads 2 and I5 by theaction of the toggle link 25 when pressure on the handles has beenreleased, thus setting the crimping tool ready for the next operation.

In Fig. I have illustrated a typical aluminum or other metal box, havinga rectangular body portion comprising sides 40 and ends 4I to which alid 44 is applied. This lid is, preferably, formed with an upstandingrim around its top edge 45, ending in a downturned flange 46 extendingentirely around the cover. The side and end walls 40 and 4I are alsopreferably provided with a downturned iiange 48, see Fig. 6, althoughthis is not essential as the flange 46 can be clamped and crimped by mytool on the upstanding walls of the box.

I secure the advantage of a better sealing action where two flanges arethus in contact and are operated on by the cooperating crimping teeth.With the cover applied, my crimping tool is fitted on either side orend, with the teeth I overlapping and engaging the top rim 45 and withthe depending iiange 46 tting over the rim of the box or over the rimflange 48 depending from the box. Thereupon, a squeezing action on thehandles I and I6 forces the cooperating head portions 2 and I5 togetherand the crimping teeth l and I8 into interlocking engagement, squeezingthe material of the cover and box together as the toggle link 25 andslot 8 with its cam surface 9 forces the heads to travel together in arelative impinging relation against the interposed cover and boxportions. Thus a sealing and crimping action is quickly andsimultaneously eiiected along the entire edge of the top and box beingoperated on, giving a tight union as indicated at 50, see Figs. 7 and 8.

My crimping tool may be formed with any desired size, height, shape, orform of interlocking teeth or, indeed, may be formed simply withcooperating rib structures, but I prefer the teethcrimping action asthis is important, particularly where thin metal and aluminum is beingoperated upon to positively stretch and seal together the materials ofthe box and cover so operated on. The adjustable stop 2l may be threadedthru the hub 22, if desired, to limit the closing action of theinterlocking teeth and thus prevent too great pressure being applied onthe material being crimped so as to prevent cracking or breaking thesame.

I claim:

A crimping tool of the kind described comprising upper and lowerorossheads, each having cooperating teeth extending toward each other,the upper crosshead being of greater length and having a handleextending at right angles thereto formed as a channel with dependingsides, the lower crosshead having a handle extending at right anglesparallel with the upper handle and adapted to nest therein, thedepending sides of the upper handle portion adjacent the crosshead eachhaving slanting cam slots therein, pivot pins extending from the lowercrosshead into said slanting cam slots constituting a pivotal connectionbetween the upper and lower crossheads, a link between the handles andpivoted to each handle in an inclined position, movement of the handlestogether and the action of said link forcing the pivots to traverse thecam paths and press the cooperating teeth in the orossheads intointerlocking relation, the length of said cam slot and the relative sizeof said interlocking teeth preventing actual contact of the teeth witheach other, in combination with the spring normally acting to separatethe handles and move the crosshead from operative to inoperativeposition to the limit afforded by said cam slots.

yRALPH G. AREY.

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